WHO IS LANE JOHNSON?
A quick look at the Eagles' first-round pick.
FROM THE TULSA WORLD:
Lane Johnson's biggest fans during NFL Draft night will include members of the Oklahoma offensive line.
The tight-knit group isn't surprised the OU tackle is projected to be among the top 10 players taken in Thursday's draft. They recognized he was a special player when he stepped onto the Norman campus.
"We knew from the beginning that he was a freak of nature," OU senior Adam Shead said with a smile. "I mean, the guy played quarterback in high school and now he's playing offensive lineman; that's not normal. So, yeah, he better be good."
So where is Johnson's NFL destination? Will it be Philadelphia, which owns the fourth pick? Will he drop as far down as the Arizona Cardinals at No. 7? Detroit is reportedly interested at the fifth pick while Wednesday's hot rumor was that Baltimore was jockeying to barter draft picks to put itself in position to nab Johnson.
Last month, Johnson joked during Oklahoma's pro day that the proximity of Dallas to his hometown of Groveton, Texas, (185 miles) was nice. But he quickly added, "Anywhere I go, I'll be happy."
Johnson's meteoric rise up the NFL Draft charts is well-documented. Johnson played quarterback for one season at Kilgore College in 2008 (throwing three touchdown passes) before being recruited as a tight end by the Sooners. After redshirting in 2009, he shifted to defensive end in 2010 before making a permanent switch to offensive tackle in 2011.
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he's never had a player switch positions and make such an impact in draft status.
"When we recruited him and signed him, we did so on just what a big athlete he was," Stoops said. "Not having an idea where he'd end up growing."
MIKE MAYOCK SAYS:
"He's the freakiest tackle I've ever seen in my life," Mayock said of Johnson. "And because of what Chip Kelly does — up-tempo, maximize snaps, throw the bubble screens, throw the tunnel screens — he needs a great athlete at left tackle."
MEL KIPER SAYS:
"Lane Johnson's a top-10 guy, at worst 11 to San Diego, possibly as high as seven to Arizona, or six if Cleveland trades out and a team like San Diego jumps in," Kiper said. "He's the kind of guy that has to even be in the discussion even at 5 for Detroit. He's right there with Joeckel and Fisher.
"It's really a three-way battle to see who's going to be the first tackle taken. You lean a little bit to Joeckel because he's been there with two systems, more experienced. Fisher's a Mid-American Conference (product), who I've liked all year but still Mid-American Conference competition. And then you think about Lane Johnson, with all the changes of position, a little late developer, needs to get a little stronger in the lower body and improve his technique just a bit. But I think the Senior Bowl week really helped him. He can play right tackle or left tackle, and Lane Johnson is solidly one of the top 11 players in this draft, and I think he goes in the top seven right now."